The Truth about Planes
by Regina Margo
Summary: Sage Winterbourne was born into a world where free will is no longer a choice. After the great uprising a council was made to decide everyone's fate, from career to marriage and even death the council decides everything in a persons life. When Sage meets the council to meet her future spouse she is surprised by the outcome, but it soon leads her to wonder, who is this man really?


They say that there was a time when people  
made their own choices, thought for themselves, didn't have the council  
available. Those were known as the Free Will Days, and they were our countries  
darkest days. Could you imagine? Just doing whatever you pleased because the  
mood struck you? My parents lived during these days, well at the end of them  
really, but sometimes they talk about them, and it always fascinates me. Even  
though my parents recall these days they now abide by the new rules, they asked  
the council for the career path they took, they asked whom they should marry,  
how many children to have and one day they will ask when they should die.

By taking away our free will, the council has  
made sure that we will live in peace and harmony throughout our days. We trade  
the ability to think for ourselves for a chance at a worry free life, one  
without options, but also one without regrets or violence. When only appear in  
front of the council three times in our life, at sixteen to ask our career  
path, at eighteen to ask whom we should marry, at twenty one to ask if we  
should have children and if so how many; and the last time when we are seventy  
to ask when we will leave this earth. Your allowed two extra visits to the  
council in your lifetime in exchange for a year of your life, that's what you  
bargain with, your life.

Tomorrow I will turn eighteen and it will be  
my second time in front of the council. I barley remember going to them two  
years ago, I was so nervous I shook the entire time. After they reviewed my  
academic record, interviewed me and studied me in different virtual  
stimulations I was given the medical career path, just like my mother. My father  
was given a financial path and my brother was given a militate path, we have  
not heard from him since.

The council is made up of six people, three  
men and three women. No one can really say how long they have been on the  
council because you are not allowed to discuss council reviews with anyone,  
ever. I had heard rumors that these were the same council members since the  
Free Will Days ended, but that has to be impossible because that was over 150  
years ago. The oldest man ever was Wally Grimmit, and he died at age 105, he  
was a wonderful man who worked in Social Services and the council gave him, so  
far, the oldest expiration date known because of all he gave during his life.  
Some say the council members were high ranking officials in the old days, and some  
say they are the ancestors of the first council members. Whatever they are,  
they are responsible for the population and well being of our entire  
population, not an easy feat.

My mother knocks on my bedroom door softly,  
interrupting my thoughts. When she opens my door I study her face and see the  
first time that she looks exhausted. Her already thin face seems to be caving  
into itself and her brown eyes seem to have sunk further into her face. She has  
a soft gray streak running through her mud colored hair and her forehead seems  
to be scrunched up permanently in worry. My mother has always been tiny, but  
her presence is mighty. She can control a whole room with just a flick of a  
hand and she has been known to make larger opponents shake in their boots with  
just a word, she is really an extraordinary woman and I have always strived to  
take after her.

"Are you about ready to leave Sage?"  
She asks me in her smooth silk voice. Some people claim my mother has an  
accent, but I never heard it or noticed it.

"Yea, I am just finished getting  
dressed." I pull the thick black wool sweater over my curves. Unfortunately  
I did not get the slight frame my mother has, instead I have curves and fuller  
figure, I suppose its from my dad side but since I never met any relatives I  
just have to assume.

"Your patch looks nice, you did a great  
job sewing it up" My mother gently touches the medical patch on my left  
arm, the only sign of what I am. Whenever you present to council you must wear  
black, its a sign of obedience and modesty, its like we are stating that we  
accept we have no control over our future and we accept that.

"I guess all those suture practices had a  
great cause." I smile ruefully. She clicks her tongue like she always does  
when she has something to say but just cant bring herself to it.

"Mom, do you remember your spouse  
committee meeting? I mean when they chose Dad for you?" I do not make eye  
contact with my mother, instead I pretend to pick something out of my nail. My  
mother sits down on the bed and pats for me to sit besides her.

"When I went to this meeting, many years  
ago, I asked my mother the same question. Mind you my father died while I was  
very young and she had to remarry because the council decided widowhood did not  
suit her. She told me something that I am going to tell you, the council makes  
their decisions in a very educated manner, so much so that we can not prove  
them wrong, so whatever they say it is truely the best for you, even if you  
cant see it at that time." She pats my clasped hands and starts to leave  
when she stops in the doorway.

"Sage, I want you to remember something.  
I love you very much and no matter what, you always have the human right to  
decide your own fate." and with that my mother is gone and so are my  
nerves.

The council building is located a little more  
then a hour from our home in Washington. It boggles my mind that someone could  
live in such a huge place! I mean I grew up in a nice, Tudor style home but to  
have a house the size of the council building, well that's just excessive.  
After the Great War when free will ended, the council was established to make  
sure that people no longer lived in excess, allowing everyone the same chance  
as anyone else. My parents were assigned a house based on their career routes  
and were given it free of charge, then when they pass a new married couple will  
get it. If one of my parents die before the other, and never remarry, they will  
go to the Retirement village that is located in the South.

My mother walks into the council foyer with me  
and then kisses my cheek before she is escorted into the waiting room. I am  
starting to get nerves again and try to remember to breathe. A man in a dark  
suit comes towards me and calls my name, "Sage Winterbourne?".

I nod my head and he extends a well manicured  
hand into my. He is in his early twenties I estimate, with his mop of curly  
brown hair and smooth face, he seems to be around my age, but who knows, there  
are rumors that the councils have access to many procedures that make them look  
younger longer.

" I am Mark Deedson. I will be your representative  
for the council this morning. Do you want to tell me a little about  
yourself?" I completely forgot that we get representatives at this stage  
of council. My representative will present what I wish my spouse to be like and  
try to reason with the council about my wishes. They hardly ever take it into  
consideration but sometimes you luck out and they grant one request in your  
favor.

"Well. I am eighteen (duh). I really like  
the field I am in, I enjoy reading and well you know. Stuff." I stammer,  
realizing how stupid I sound, but Mark is not even really paying attention he  
is flipping through a folder with a look of concern on his face.

"Winterbourne. Your mother is Cecilia  
Winterbourne?"

"Um..yes she is. Do you know her?"

Mark looks up and tries to form a smile but  
instead it looks like a grimace, "No, no of course not. I just have heard  
about her work in the neurological field, she is very impressive. I assume you're  
in the medical field?" He asks eyeing up my patch.

"Yes, but I have yet to choose a specialty.  
Right now I am just a basic apprentice". Suddenly I realize Mark is  
staring at me very intently and its making me nervous then if I was alone.

"Well" Mark sighs as he looks at his  
watch "we should get moving, we have a bit of a walk and you're almost  
up."

As we start down a hallway I stop and glance  
at myself in the mirror. My dirty blonde hair, inherited from my father, is up  
in a tight bun and it makes me look older then what I am. I quickly take it out  
and run my fingers through it, allowing the bun made waves to spill down my  
back, almost touching my hips. Mark is staring at me again and I blush.

"Sorry, I just really hated that bun and  
my mom made me wear it." Mark shrugs and continues to walk down the  
hallway as I jog to catch up. I notice his political patch, a scale with  
nothing on it wrapped in ivy. I wonder how he felt when he was told he was to  
go into political. Was he excited? Was he relieved that he was not put into  
security or military? Or was disappointed because he wanted to be something  
like a scientist or medical like me? Whatever the case we are not suppose to  
think of the "what ifs?" instead we are suppose to think of the best  
possible outcome for our situations.

"Did you have your spouse council  
yet?" I ask. Mark looks at me sideways, clearly caught of guard that I  
even brought it up.

"No" he clears his throat "I  
mean I did, but I argued my case and was allowed an extension." I am  
flabbergasted, an extension? Maybe I can get one of those!

"That's what I want!"

"No you don't. I had to give them a year  
as part of the agreement."

"Well that's ok, I mean what's one  
year?"

"Sage, I said no. I will not allow you to  
do that." Mark snaps.

I can't help but wonder why he cares so much.  
He does not know me at all, who is he to tell me I can't exchange a year? I  
shut my mouth and start speed walking so I am ahead of him, but if he notices  
he doesn't care because he keeps his same gradual space.

There is only one person set to go in before  
me so Mark and I take a seat on a wooden beach outside the main council doors.  
The girl that's set to go in before me is breathtaking, with her long golden  
hair, blue eyes, and a slim figure that I always dreamt about. She is filing  
her nails and does not look the least bit nervous. She glances in my direction  
and then her eyes skip to Mark and she smirks.

"Hi Mark." She coos as she tucks her  
nail file away.

Mark glances up and I can see that the he does  
return her flirtation feelings.

"Hi Thea. How are you today?" He  
seems monotone and board.

"Oh good, just waiting to see who I will  
marry. I have a name in mind." She says well eyeing him up. I see Marks  
cheeks flush and I can tell they both know she is talking about him.

"Well I am sure the council will take  
that into consideration, good luck." He returns to his paperwork but as he  
reaches for his briefcase his hand brushes against mine and he ever so gently  
runs his pinky over my clenched fist. Startled, I look at him but he is  
ignoring my glance, however I can tell by Thea's face that she did not miss  
this exchange.

"I know who you are, your Sage." She  
says in an accusing voice.

God what is with me today? Everyone seems to  
hate me, which is odd considering I do not know anyone in this room.

"Do I know you?" I snarkily ask, I  
might not know this Barbie knock off but that does not mean I have to take her  
crap.

"Athena McKenna. We were in school together,  
until the career path you went to medical and I went into, well entertainment  
of course."

"Well that's nice, the world needs more  
strippers." I snap.

Mark snorts so loud even Athena's representative  
looks up. He literally has tears in his eyes and for a moment I see something  
really attractive about him, beyond his looks which are obviously attractive,  
but I see that he has a kindness in him and for a moment I feel that I snapped  
at him earlier.

A thin, tall man opens the main doors and announces  
Athena's name. Her representative looks up, he is a stout, over weight man who  
seems to have the personality of cardboard.

"If you don't mind, could this young lady  
before us? We are having a bit of a communication problem." Athena rolls  
her eyes and takes her nail file back out and beings to file while she whistles  
some annoying song. The thin man shrugs his shoulders and motions for us to  
follow him.

We walk into an oval office, which is where  
the main council meets. We are motioned to sit down behind a table and Mark  
starts pulling papers out and putting them across the desk. I glance at the council  
and study the faces of the people who are about to decide my fate.

The three women are called Prosper, Tuesday  
and Demeanor. Prosper is definitely the oldest, her gray hair is pulled into a  
low bun and she has on a black dress, with a black cardigan, which makes her  
slim frame seem almost like a coat hanger. She has on black glasses that she  
whips off and begins to chew on the stem. Her face is most unwelcoming, in fact  
it made me feel as if she was staring right through me and I start to fidget.  
Tuesday is the youngest, and the complete opposite of Prosper. She is also in  
all black but hers is lower cut and her breasts are hiked up to her chin  
almost. Her long, blonde hair is in waves and she is strumming her fingers on  
the large desk, almost as if she is bored. Demeanor is the middle of the two,  
her dress is appropriate but she has on a huge ruby necklace and her jet-black  
hair is cropped to her chin. She gives me a smile and cocks her head to one  
side as if she is studying me.

The three men, Lotus, Poilux and Zeno are  
sitting on the right of the girls. Lotus is the one that all the ladies swoon  
over, with his masculine build and golden hair he is definitely the best  
looking of the group. I imagine he is married to Tuesday, as the council is  
paired off in marriage too. I blush when he catches me staring at him. Poilux  
is most likely married to Prosper, he is older but still nice looking, his  
square jaw and salt and pepper hair give him a distinguished look. Zeno is the  
darkest of them all, almost olive in skin tone, with emerald eyes and black  
hair that hangs in his eye on one side, he looks like he is from an exotic  
place, but he cant be because we have not allowed outsiders into our country  
since the end of the Great War.

Prosper begins:" Sage WinterBourne, you are  
presented to the council today so that we may mate you with your perfect match.  
We have reviewed all of your paperwork, including referral letters sent into  
the committee. Is there anything your representative would like to say on your  
behalf?"

Mark clears his throat and stands up,  
"Sage Winterbourne is an exceptional woman. She is excelling in her  
medical apprenticeship, she is very well read, and she is also attractive.  
" I am blushing, I can feel myself burning up as he is talking.

Tuesday chimes in with a dreamy voice  
"She is very pretty, we will definitely take that into account". Prosper  
shoots her a dirty look and Demeanor chimes in "Of course, beauty is only  
skin deep, look at Tuesdays' husband Poilux, who would have thought that those  
two would make such a great couple?" I am shocked in honesty, the fact  
that Poilux and Tuesday are married blows my mind, and I mean they look like  
complete opposites. Demeanor countines "And my husband, Lotus, is  
beautiful, but I feel in love with his childlike innocence, after we were assigned  
to each other of course." Lotus winks at her and Demeanor blushes.

Zeno who has been silent gazes at me.  
"When I was paired, I cried because I did not like my match." Prosper  
is glaring at him, I can imagine it will be a quiet night in their home.  
"However, we are made to believe the council knows best, so I married her.  
I now know why we were chosen and I would not change it for anything in the  
world." He reaches across the table and pats Prospers hand, which look she  
is almost going to smile but then her face goes into stone again.

"Sage, we have decided that you will  
marry Nikoli Grimmit. You will marry in two weeks."

Mark jumps up as if his seat is on fire  
"I want to marry her. Please. I was given an extension and I want to marry  
Sarge. We are completely compatible and I wish this."

Tuesday gasps and claps her hands as if she  
just opened a present. Prosper looks like she sucked a lemon, and Demenor looks  
like she is deep thought and chewing her bottom lip.

"The council needs a moment to reconvene  
if you could please step outside".


End file.
